Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved parts orienting machine and method of orienting parts. The new and improved machine and method can be operated at higher speeds and at a greater production rate than machines presently known.
According to important features of my invention, the new machine and method for orienting parts can be continuously operated in such a way that the parts are successively received in a nest and the relative position of the part is determined by a sensor. If it is determined that the part in the nest is properly oriented, the nest and the part loaded therein is moved to a discharge position and a plunger functions to forcibly push the part out of the nest and into a discharge chute. If it is determined that the part is improperly oriented in the nest, the nest is then rotated 180.degree. before the plunger causes there oriented part to be serially unloaded from the nest into the discharge chute so that all of the parts are oriented in the same way relative to one another as the machine operation and the method are operated repetitively.
According to other features of my invention, I have provided a new and improved parts orienting machine having a plunger or punch that serves dual purposes: (1) it forces piece parts past an interference pin during its downward travel to eliminate the need for the piece part to free fall out of the nest during the machine cycle of 0.degree. to 60.degree.; and (2) during the low dwell (60.degree.-75.degree.) the end opposite of the probing tip is used to signal a proximity switch only if the piece part being probed is oriented with its recess on top.
Other features of my invention relate to providing a new and improved machine and method whereby the piece part is positively positioned throughout all escaping, probing, orienting, and discharging or expelling steps, from the time the piece part enters the nest until it is forced out of the nest into the discharge chute.
Still other features of my invention concern a new and improved orienting machine for orienting parts at higher speeds which has an electrical switching circuit and a solenoid activated lockout slide which have additional time (70.degree. of rotation) 75.degree. to 145.degree. to perform their function because of the time (60.degree. of rotation) required to bring the probe punch up to "home position" before a rack slide begins its downward travel.
Still other features of my invention concern a new and improved parts orienting machine where the machine operation enables the oriented piece part to be expelled at 120.degree. while the horizontal slide dwell allows a new piece part to fall from the inlet chute into the nest provided in the shuttle block (195.degree.-315.degree.). This feature of my invention which provides a 120.degree. dwell time serves two functions: the first being to provide ample time to permit the oriented piece part to be expelled; and the second being to permit the new piece part to fall into a pre-sensing position, anticipatory of being axially moved with the shuttle block to its sensing position.
Other features of my invention concern a new and improved parts orienting machine wherein the shuttle block or reciprocating block has a reciprocating motion which delivers the piece part to the orienting nest, and then returns empty to pick up a new piece part.
In the past, various types of parts orienting machines have been used in industry. One machine known to the inventor is an orienting machine which utilizes an indexing wheel which is known to be operated at speeds of roughly 45 units per minute as compared to the present machine which Is operable at speeds over 175 units per minute and it is believed that higher speeds are attainable with a
higher speed gear motor such as a 500 R.P.M. motor. In the older type machines utilizing an indexing wheel, there was a tendency for the piece parts to jam or to become locked up in the indexing wheel and there was a tendency for these parts to resist free fall by gravity (after inversion) into a discharge chute and where there was no positive expulsion of the piece part from the so-called indexing wheel nest as contrasted with my machine and method herein disclosed.
According to yet other features of my invention, during the time the nest is being rotated to correctly orient a disoriented part, the shuttle block is in its return stroke period of operation for accepting a new part and further while the nest is being rotated to its original position (315.degree.-360.degree.), the shuttle block is in its escaping stroke delivering a new piece into the probe position.
It should further be noted that there were also other types of problems encountered in the use of prior art machines where an indexing wheel rotated about a stationary center since there was a tendency for piece parts carried in circumferentially spaced nests in the indexing wheel to become jammed at the inner and outer ends of the nests on the indexing wheel where the piece parts were not fully loaded into the nests or fully expelled from the nests as the indexing wheel was being indexed.